Austin vs Cape Town vs Istanbul vs Lviv

Austin ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
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Cape Town ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
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Istanbul ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท
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Lviv ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ
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Population 926,426 4,617,560 15,520,000 731,387
Official language(s) English (de facto) Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English Turkish Ukrainian
Level of English Very high Very high Low Low
Main airport Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Istanbul Airport (IST) Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport (LWO)
Most common months to visit March - May, September - November March - May, September - November April - June, September and October May - September
Currency USD - US Dollar ($) ZAR - South African Rand (R) TRY - Turkish Lira (โ‚บ) UAH - Ukrainian Hryvnia (โ‚ด)
Credit cards Accepted almost everywhere Accepted almost everywhere, but cash still needed in smaller shops Accepted in most places Accepted almost everywhere
Remote worker visa No No No No
Average monthly costs $3484 $1549 $659 $922
Rent $1650 $618 $354 $400
Groceries $243 $129 $44 $91
Dining out $396 $269 $81 $151
Cafe $66 $32 $18 $21
Coworking space $331 $151 $49 $79
Mobile internet $40 $27 $3 $4
Public transportation $110 $55 $6 $5
Taxis $73 $21 $6 $12
Shared bicycles and scooters $96 $49 $2 $16
Sport and cultural events $54 $19 $11 $13
Museums and sights $11 $15 $15 $9
Nightlife $124 $43 $22 $43
Gym $62 $36 $9 $22
Yoga $139 $56 $23 $30
Massage $89 $30 $15 $27
SIM card options AT&T, T-Mobile. MTN, Vodacom Turkcell, Turk Telekom Vodafone, Kyivstar
Tipping 15-20% at restaurants, 1USD or more per drink at cafes and bars 10 - 15% at restaurants, round up elsewhere Tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafรฉs and bars 10% in restaurants, not expected elsewhere
Taxi apps Uber, Lyft Uber, Bolt BiTaksi Uber, Uklon
Tap water Drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable Not drinkable
Overall cuisine Emphasis on barbecued meats (beef and pork) as well as corn-based dishes and tex-mex, and rich American-style desserts. South African cuisine has been shaped by a long history of Dutch, Malay, British and Indian settlements, making the food diverse and strong in flavor. There is a strong emphasis on game in all of its different forms, as well as spicy sauces and sautรฉed vegetables and dry-cured meats. Creamy desserts and liqueurs compliment large and flavorful meals. A fusion of cultures creates diverse dishes with bulgur, koftes, stews, eggplants and fish Slavic. Emphasis on frilled meats combined with potatoes, carrots, pickles and cabbage. Creamy deserts often elaborated with cottage cheese. Lviv enjoys culinary influences from Kiev (traditional with an emphasis on chicken) and Odessa (various seafood dishes).
Local food specialities Frito pie, queso, apple pie, kolaches, BBQ ribs, tacos Bitlong and droewors, boerewors, Cape Malay curry, bobotie, melkert, gatsby, bunny chow Dรถner, ฤฐรงli Kรถfte, Dondurma, Karnฤฑyarฤฑk, Turkish delight Lviv cheesecake, fish Zupa, Tsivikli, Karmanadli, Banosh, Borscht, Salo, Syrnyky
Eat like a local Local tex-mex restaurants, lunch BBQ joints, taquerias, food trucks, local breweries Cape Malay shacks, food trucks, street food joints, local grills, small bakeries and food markets Traditional breakfasts, street stalls for simit, lahmacun and kokorec, Turkish coffee Local grills, themed taverns, local breweries, small bakeries
Vegetarian / vegan options 30 options on HappyCow 24 options on HappyCow 59 listings on Happy Cow 9 options on HappyCow